The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
by StoriesThatNeverWere
Summary: Christmas brings many things... And awakens old hurts...


At 25, Nancy Katharine Drew finally decided to be brave. It would scare her, oh yes, and it would be extremely dangerous to go alone. But she had to do it.

She had to go Christmas shopping at the busy Chicago Mall.

The horror of bumper-to-bumper traffic on that icy winter Saturday scared her more than the hundreds of villains she had faced within the last seven years. While growing up, she always hoped to become a Private Investigator, or a detective, as most would have expected. But that dream was pretty much out that window. Not that she didn't enjoy her journalism. She was very well known for her column, "Crime Time". But she wasn't out where the action was. Not like how she used to be. Lately, she would solve crimes strictly for her column, or so she told herself.

The snowfall had slowed to a stop while the ex-sleuth drove across the slushy roads. Halfway to her destination, the girl hit the steering wheel in frustration. "Shoot!" Her horn went off, and immediately the heads of other drivers turned. She blushed slightly, and waved them off. "I was supposed to call Bess today!" Bess Marvin was her closest friend. At a time, George Fayne had also been a friend, but the girl's wonders at athletics were sending her high. Nancy would see her on the news hear and there, and smile as the girl was prompted with yet another medal. Whether it be in racing, hiking, swimming, snowboarding; the girl was a sports fanatic. And she loved every minute of it.

Nancy led out a continuous moan once she saw the River Heights Mall parking lot. Cars were gathered everywhere, including in handicapped parking. "How will I ever be able to-" The girl stopped as a young couple appeared from the drug store. She saw them strut happily, hand in hand, to their mini-van. Nancy pulled up to their parking space, and felt her smile return. The man and woman took their places in the car, and slowly backed away, giving her a free space. "Thank you," Nancy rolled down her window and called. She eased her sedan into the space, with plenty of room to spare. Now in a more cheerful mood, the journalist made her way into the shopping mall.

Bells jingled, local church choirs sung, and Santas were parked on every corner of the street. Nancy pulled her wallet from her coat pocket, and passed out dollars to the venders. She was always a charitable person, which in certain cases, would get the best of her. "Let's see," she pulled a notepad from her pocket, and began reading off the names. "Bess. She wanted a new purse." She looked up from her list, and browsed the store names above her. "Aha, Coach!" The place was very expensive, and she was well aware that this trip would end up wearing a hole in her wallet. But her friends and family were worth it, considering all the times they saved her neck!

Immediately after entering the store, Nancy was crowded by shop managers. Surprisingly, the shop was almost empty. The detective soon realized this was because the store was closing. Traffic had taken her almost forty-five minutes, and it being just after 5, she didn't have much time to look around. The first woman to win her attention was a red-head, with high cheek bones, and a smile that was blinding. She wore a black business suit, and held a part of her hair back in a ponytail. "May I help you find something?" Her voice was deeper then Nancy would have thought.

"My friend wants a new purse, though I don't know what she wanted specifically. Most of her shoes are white, and she tells me that her shoe color and purse color are supposed to match." The woman did not laugh, but she did smile. "Why don't you come with me?" The clerk's high heels clicked against the tiled floor as she led Nancy to the center of the store. "These are new arrivals, and considering they have been here for only a day, they are certainly flying off the shelves." It wasn't the usual remark a store woman would make, but she certainly wasn't lying. The long shelf that was once filled with purses was now only a quarter of the way full. Nancy searched up and down, till a beautiful bag caught her eye. It was pearl white, with a long black line dancing across it. The handle was a twisted braid, which added funkiness to it. Gems were placed here and there to add a certain flare of shine to the purse. Before saying anything, Nancy looked at the price tag. $328. It was do-able.

"I think I will take this one," Nancy turned to the sales-woman. The red-head was clearly pleased. "Very nice." The women both went to the front of the store, where the cash-register stood. Nancy thanked the worker, and quickly paid for Bess's purse. _She's going to love me forever! _Nancy smiled at the thought of her friend's expression.

After paying, Nancy left the store to be, once more, on the streets. She pulled out her list, and mentally checked off the first name. Next: Michael. Nancy couldn't help but frown slightly. She and Michael had been dating on and off for years. But lately, they seemed to be having problems in their relationship. He was in real-estate, which meant he was hardly ever able to see her. She hoped that they would work it out, but decided upon making his trip the last. Skipping over his name for the time, Nancy made her way over to the jewelry store. Carson, her father and friend, wanted a new watch.

11 o'clock came quicker then Nancy realized. The sky was now entirely black, with star specks scattered all over the place. The streets were still crowded, but stores were closing for the night. Fortunately, she had only one more stop to make. And that was Michael's present. He had been asking for months about getting another business suit. His grey one was aging, and he had claimed to be searching for a tan one, but wasn't able to find the time. Nancy pushed on the glass door of "Finer Things", immediately feelings the warmth of the store's heaters. Just as in "Coach" she was approached by a worker. Except this time, it was a man. A very attractive man. His brown locks curled over his face in the most perfect places, and trailed past his ears and down his neck. His black eyes were friendly as he came up to greet her. His red vest nearly blinded her, though she couldn't help but admit, silently, that it made him look very cute.

"Welcome to Finer Things," his voice was strong. "Is there anything in particular you are looking for?"

"Yes. I am looking for a man's business suit. Brown, if possible."

"Well, we have several suits here." He gestured behind him. Nearly the entire floor was filled with pants, shirts, and skirts. "Is there a specific occasion it is for?"

"My boyf… **friend** is in real estate."

The glint in the man's eyes lightened. "Well, let's see if we can find the right suit for your…," he winked, "friend."

Nancy blushed scarlet, which only made the worker's smile broaden. "Thank you, er…" Nancy peaked at his name tag and gasped. "Ned." She looked up at him. Her face chalkened as she stared at him closer. It was definitely him. How couldn't she have seen it before? His hair was still perfect, as was his smile. He was more muscular, and taller, but otherwise it was an older replica of her old love.

However, he didn't seem to be making the same connection with her. "Is something wrong?" he sensed her shock.

_He doesn't remember me. _Nancy couldn't help but feel her heart drop lower in her chest. "No. Nothing is wrong. You just… Ned is my brother's name." She thought up the best lie she could.

He bought it, though the salesman seemed to study her for a second. "Right this way."

She kept a few steps behind him, so bewildered at what had become of her boyfriend. She was immediately curious, and now embarrassed at the fact that she had found him good looking. "Do you work here often?" She decided to learn about his life through casual conversation.

"Actually, no. I only started working here a couple weeks ago. I was a lawyer for almost six years."

"A lawyer?" She had never pictured Ned as a law man. "Why did you quit?"

"I didn't, exactly. I am planning on going back to college to get a Masters. Then, hopefully, I can get better cases." He continued to talk as he weaved through the aisles. "You see, I never finished college."

"You didn't? Did something happen?"

The man stopped for a moment, and even with his back turned, Nancy could tell that he was reliving a painful memory. "My girlfriend and I broke up. We had been together for a long time, and… Being at Emerson reminded me so much of her, because she used to come there so often. She actually stopped some crimes from occurring. You see, she was a detective."

Nancy felt like someone had jabbed a baseball bat into her stomach. She had caused Ned to quit school… Guilt swept over her as sudden as a chill. It enveloped her body like a tornado, teasing her and poking at her.

"After quitting school, I immediately went to work as a lawyer. I worked hard, and got a lot of cases. I've won most of them, but I know I can do better. Besides, I need to make more money. And I can do that with a higher degree." Nancy hoped that he would continue, but soon realized that he had dropped the conversation. Ned had led her into a packed area, filled to the max with brown suits.

Nancy began to browse, or pretended to at least. But really, she wanted to know more about Ned. "Have you any plans for the Christmas holidays?" She surfed through suits. Though the companies were different, they all looked the same to her.

"Just some nice snowy nights by the fireplace with my wife."

Nancy froze in mid-shuffle. _Wife! _She had actually said this out loud, but no sound came from her throat. Someone had swung that bat into her gut again. _Well, what did you expect? _Came her inner conscience. _How could a guy that great still be single? _Still Nancy had to turn her head away in order to see the sadness forming a liquid in her eyes. "Oh, you're married?" She croaked, continuing to browse through the suits. Though she paid even less attention to them then she did before,

"Yeah. For over a year now. Allie's a really wonderful girl. She's also a lawyer, but she's a lot more successful then me!" Though Nancy couldn't see him from over the coats, she could picture him smiling. "I learn a lot from her, which is one of the main reasons I married her. She's as smart as anything…" he trailed off in thought.

Nancy, too, was thinking, but all the thoughts consisted of Allie being hit by a train.

For several minutes, neither Ned nor Nancy said anything. Actually focusing on her search, the journalist finally found an attire that she knew would look perfect on Michael. Just as she was about to tell Ned that she had found what she wanted, a male voice come over the intercom. "Attention all shoppers. Our store is will be closing shortly. Please make your final purchases now."

"Looks like I better get going." Nancy felt like running to the front of the store, but she forced herself to walk at a reasonable pace. She looked back, and was surprised to see Ned following her. She ignored him, and ran to the cash-register.

After paying for the suit, Nancy began to exit the store. Only one thing stopped her from leaving. "Miss!" Nancy turned to see Ned. He had changed from his uniform, and wore clay-colored pants and a grey sweater. He looked, it possible, even more perfect. "Would you like to… join me for a coup of coffee?"

Nancy looked up at him. This was her chance to talk to him. Maybe, she could fix his life again. Maybe she could help him… _He doesn't need your help! He has a wife now._ Her conscience hurt.

"No. I don't think that's a good idea." Nancy turned to leave the store, but immediately stopped when she heard someone yelling.

"Hey, Ned!" The couple both looked up, to see a man on a ladder halfway across the store. The worker looked Ned's age, and Nancy guessed that he was a friend. "LOOK WHERE YOU'RE STANDING!"

Immediately, Nancy closed her eyes. _No way! No way could they possibly be standing under…_

"Mistletoe." The journalist could believe it. But sure enough, the green decoration hung directly above where Ned and she stood.

Meeting his eyes, Nancy heard Ned give a nervous chuckle. But he didn't move. He probably expected her to leave. But the woman did not. She looked at him, unable to move from her spot.

"I'm not one to break tradition…"

Ned's face brightened, and being precautious, he leaned in. He gracefully pressed his lips to her mouth, and she closed her eyes, grasping the moment with everything she had.

The kiss ended all too soon. But when it did, Nancy did not blush, nor did she try to leave. Ned gave her a warm smile, and he politely stepped back.

"You know, that invitation still stands." Nancy knew that Ned was not asking her on a date. She could tell that he was happily married. As much as it hurt her, she still wanted to be a part of his life. Maybe not as close as she had been before, but friends would still be a lot nicer then not being anything at all.

"Maybe… Maybe, a cup of coffee would be nice."

**THE END**


End file.
